Agape forums member Gil Hodges shared this great looking resin Fury. His results were outstanding, despite a few challenges.

First of the year! CollectAire resin kit, OOTB. The kit decals, and their MicroScale backups (VF-173 Rams) were an EPIC FAIL (shattered); so I painted the checks and the blue flash on the fuselage. The rest of the markings are all from the spares box; a combo of regular decals and dry transfers. Ended up being a different scheme than I started out  with, but I like it better I think.

A negative mask is one that is grumpy and has a bad outlook on life. OK, that’s not true. A negative mask is one that shows an area to be painted, while a positive mask covers an area already painted. Anyway…

On the rare occasion that I get adventurous and try to do a paint scheme that I don’t have decals for, I may try masking. Normally I go with a positive mask, as it’s a bit easier. I’ll paint an area of the aircraft the color of the marking, add a mask over that, and then paint the rest. But sometimes I forget to do that first, and rather than going back through the entire paint process, I’ll create a negative mask. Of course, the process for creating a positive mask is pretty much the same, you just use the part that is cut out. So this step-by-step has dual application, really.

One step I did not show was after these photos where taken, I gave the painted area a light rub down with a coffee filter to smooth out the bumps and ridges. You may also need to use a small brush and dab paint here and there to make some corrections. It’s also possible to carefully use the sharp tip of a new #11 blade to lightly slice away some area and lift them up before the paint fully cures. If you do try that, be very careful though.

This same technique can be used for very complicated designs, utilizing both negative and positive masks together, and applying one color and element at a time.

Monogram’s P-39 kit is a true classic. I remember building it back in the late 70′s or early 80′s. The detail in it was incredible at the time. I thought it was the coolest thing being able to see the engine, open cockpit and gun compartment. For its time, it was a very detailed model.

And it was versatile. It had parts for several versions of Airacobras, and with just a little work, a skilled modelers could use it  as the basis for any variant of the P-39, from the D through the Q. For the time, it was quite the kit.

When I decided to build Eduard’s 1/48 P-39N weekend edition, I thought it would be neat to also build Monogram’s venerable kit, and see how it compared. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to new kit announcements, few things spark my interest like a new Spitfire. And that anticipation doubles even more when it is an Airfix Spitfire. The iconic manufacturer has been doing a great job with their latest line of Mr. Mitchell’s Wonder. So I was particularly excited when I read that Airfix would release the Mk. XIX PRU version.

Of course, living in the US puts me at a slight disadvantage. Even after Airfix releases a kit, it seems to take weeks for it to filter its way to the US. And ordering directly from Airfix comes at a price of very high shipping. So what’s a Spitfire nut, on a limited budget, to do?

Ebay to the rescue. I’ve found if I wait just a few days after Airfix releases a kit, sellers will have them on Ebay, and usually at very reasonable prices and shipping. And that was the case here- I found one priced such that it was only a few bucks more than I would have paid for the kit here in the US, including shipping. So I was a happy camper! Especially so when the kit arrived in 5 days!

OK, enough blabbering about my adventure getting the kit… what is in the box? Read the rest of this entry »

I first built one of Eduard’s P-39 kit’s almost five years ago, that one being the Accurate Miniatures’ P-39 Racer boxing. I really enjoyed the kit, and had been meaning to build one again. But time and other projects fly by. Sometime last fall, Squadron had Eduard’s Weekend Edition of the P-39N kit on sale, so I picked it up. At the time it was on sale for $9.99, which is an amazing bargain. (It’s still available at a very reasonable price, $17.96 as of this writing.)

Shortly after purchasing the kit, I began reading a book about a Russian Airacobra pilot in World War II. Redstar Airacobra: Memoirs of a Soviet Fighter Ace 1941-45 by Evgeniy Mariinskiy, available at Amazon as a Kindle book for only $9.99, is a very interesting read. It’s translation is a little rough in places, and at times I had trouble figuring out the time frame of things, but it really gives a great look at Airacobra operations on the Eastern Front in WWII.

One of the parts I found most fascinating was that Mariinskiy’s descriptions of his flying was almost entirely air-to-air combat, flown against “skinnies” (Me-109s) and “clodhoppers” (Stukas) as he termed them. The impression I had of P-39s was of a sluggish, almost-coulda-been fighter using it’s 37mm cannon to blast away at tanks. But the book opened my eyes to the fact that Russian pilots flew it as a fighter, and did so successfully. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most fascinating chapters in the story of World War II, in my mind, has always been the struggle for control of the skies over the Mediterranean island of Malta. Acting as an “unsinkable carrier”, the small island was a thorn in the side of the Axis attempts to make the area their own pond.

Even though the guns have been silent for decades, a battle among modelers still “rages”… what in the world were the “correct” colors on the Malta Spitfires?

If you’re looking for the answer, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this isn’t the place.

I can, however, go through the process I went through to decide how I wanted to paint my Malta Spitfire. Read the rest of this entry »

Scott Des Planques sent in this very interesting look at how his love of history led to restoring an older build to a more modern standard. It looks great Scott- thanks for sharing this!

This brief article touches on an often overlooked modeling procedure, rebuilding an old finished kit. A bit over 20 years ago I purchased the Glencoe Grumman J2F-2 Duck to supplement the late 1930s/Pre-WW II yellow wing aircraft in my 1/48 scale collection. This kit can still be found for around $15.00 on eBay. It has been years, but I seem to remember this kit went together quite well. Some of the parts are what can be expected in an old kit, a thick canopy and simplified landing gear that could be moved up or down. Initially I built the kit straight from the box and used stretched sprue for the guide wires, but my heart just wasn’t in it and I was never happy with the results; nonetheless this yellow winged Duck has nested on my built shelves for over two decades. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the interesting things about this hobby is how much I have learned over the years regarding equipment I’d never heard of. This is one of those kits. Agape forum member unimodeler (Chris) has done a magnificent job on this kit. You can check out more of his modeling on his blog, Digital Sprue. Thanks for sharing Chris!

I completed the Hobbyboss model. I’m quite pleased with the result. It’s my first finished armor model and my first attempt at chipping. I think the chipping really adds to the look, making the model looking appropriately heavy.

Agape forum member Zachary Faull shared these pics of only his second armor build- and it looks awesome! Great work, Zachary!

My first officially build completed for 2013!! Woot woot!!

OK so here is my pointy Russian armor thingy! I leaned a lot on this build, from the “hairspray technique” to just better model building! I really did enjoy this build as it was something different from the norm. Now I know this is only my 2nd official armor kit but I’m quite satisfied with it, there are maybe one or two things I would do different now but hind sight is 20/20.

Forum member Everett Ford did a great job on this one, employing some seriously imaginative  scratch-building. He started with the 1/25th scale AMT 1967 Chevrolet Impala Street Machine, and then just went from there. I’ve included a few pics of his process, as well as the finished result.

What’s incredible is this is his first effort at scratch-building, kit-bashing and weathering! And his efforts didn’t go unrecognized- he won a gold medal at Chattanooga Model-Con 2013! Great work, Everett! Read the rest of this entry »

Forum member Dale Hutchinson (Hutch) shared his photos of this completed P-51A. The Accurate Miniatures kit is a great kit, and you did an excellent job on it Dale!

Okay, I am basically calling this one done!!!  My first completion of 2013.  All-in-all I really enjoyed this one.  As mentioned before, this was my first Accurate Miniatures kit.

The kit fit nicely but only experienced two disappointments: 1) some of the decals silvered in some areas, and 2) the canopy wasn’t exactly the best fit.  Other than that, a truly fun experience.

Agape Models forum member Paul Wilsford (FMTango) posted these photos of his finished Ventura. Great work on a really cool kit, Paul!

Well here she is, the last of my shelf queens that I know of anyway. I know I have just a bunch of little things to do but I figure thats to be taken care of later.

My good friend Adam Coleman sent me photos and a brief writeup on this very obscure kit. It’s neat to see what Adam did with it- great work Adam!

My last build for 2012 looks to be one that was built more as a quest than a serious build! It’s a Su-7BM (S-22M) “Fitter – A” of the former Soviet Air Force, ca. late 1970’s. It is the old “Master Modell” (a former East German mold I think) in 1/72. The inspiration for this originated for me when wargaming in the 70’s. I played SPI’s “Oil War” which has several Su-7s featured, all with pretty low attack and range factors, which made me curious as to why these had such low value numbers. So – curiosity kills the cat! – and I discovered that operationally, Su-7s were hampered by a high landing speed of 340–360 km/h due to the thin, highly-swept wing. They had poor visibility from the cockpit, and lacked an instrument landing system, which made operations very difficult, especially in poor weather or on poor airfields. Apparently they were pretty fast and rugged. So, that said, I found pretty much the same with the characteristics of the model kit too!

Modeling as a hobby requires multiple mental levels and directions, and the process was as follows:

First, find something to build that would look basically Ok – and I discovered a “Fitter” kit somewhere in my stash. Second, over about a 12 year period I would occasionally look at the kit box and remind myself never, ever buy cheap model kits.

But the intrigue and interest drove me to see what a cheap Fitter would look like built. Finally, with some determination, much chopping, cutting, sanding and an on-line visit to an obscure Russian company to buy some decent looking wheels, I managed to put together the aforementioned kit, and make it look something like it would have been years ago as a member of the Frontovaya Aviatsiya. 

Enjoy the Fitter–A!

Agape Models reader Boyd Waechter submitted this awesome looking Seafire XVII, looking very striking in it’s aluminum finish. Great work, Boyd- thanks for sharing this with us!

Although started in early November, this is my first completion in 2013, the Airfix 1/48th Seafire F.XVII that I converted (minor) to an FR.XVII. The only thing that needed to be done was drill out the camera windows and fill them with some Clear Cast Resin, a two part resin product that is available at Hobby Lobby. It takes about 24 hrs for this product to cure crystal clear. As modeled, this aircraft was being used as a gunnery trainer and did not have the recon cameras installed.

This kit seemed to fight me all of the way, beginning by having to spend several days sanding and polishing all of the major parts. Airfix does not polish it’s molds like other major manufacturers, thus resulting in a rough surface finish. The fit of the parts isn’t the best, particularly at the wing roots where I had major gaps to fill with strips of sheet plastic. The clear parts are also very thick and not to the standard we usually see from a major company. Some of the aftermarket items I used to enhance the kit are:

• True Details resin cockpit with additional scratchbuilding
• True Details block threaded tires
• Quickboost exhausts (pipes drilled out)
• Ultracast late style Spitfire seat with harnesses
• Premiere Plus wingtip lights

The best part of this build was using Freightdog Decals for the finish. They produce a sheet of postwar Griffon powered Seafires that has markings for nine aircraft of various types, so you can build multiple models from this single sheet. This is the second time I have used their products and I can highly recommend these decals.

Paints used were MM RAF Interior Green, MM Non-Buffing Aluminum overall, MM Deep Yellow for the wing and fuselage bands, and then overcoated with Testor’s Metailizer Sealer to dull the finish just a tab that I think replicates the High Speed Silver finish the RAF and Royal Navy used after WWII.

I have to admit the fact that I am a big fan of Airfix. The iconic British model maker has always been a favorite of mine, and my enjoyment of their kits only continues to grow. As they release new kits each year, I am continually impressed by the quality and value of their offerings.

A few years ago, Airfix had gone bankrupt, and Hornby stepped in and breathed new life into them. Part of that process was the Airfix Club.

When I was a kid, I belonged to several manufacturer sponsored model clubs. I loved to get the periodic newsletters, catalogs, and even kits. But I think the thing I was was fascinated with was being a member of the club. Their just seemed something special, at least to my nerdy 10 year old mind, to have the club membership card, or a patch for my jacket, or a pin to wear.

So it was the same nerdy fascination, that 10-year-old kid in me, that prompted me to join the Airfix Club when it was announced a few years ago. The first release was a 1/48 Spitfire Mk. XVIe, a special edition kit released only for the Airfix Club members. And since then, I’ve renewed every time.

I suppose one could evaluate what you get from a pure dollars and cents standpoint and question what the big deal is. But for me, it’s far more than that. It’s a re-connection with that kid in me, who still loves the idea of being in a model club, and getting a kit, and a pin, and a membership card. Yes, it’s a bit nerdy. But isn’t our hobby supposed to be fun?

For me, to steal a marketing phrase Airfix used a few years ago, “it’s all about the fun.”

And guess what? It’s renewal time!

This years club kit is a great one- a three kit set titled “Under the Red Star”. It includes a Spitfire Mk. Vb, a Tomahawk IIc, and a Hurricane IIb, all decked out in Soviet markings, all in 72nd scale. My assumption is that the Tomahawk and Hurricane are the new-tool kits, and the Spitfire is the old-tool kit. I’ve built each of the kits, and all are very enjoyable builds. I’m certainly looking forward to building mine!

Membership also includes:

• A three times per-year club magazine (outside of the UK it is a downloadable PDF)
• Discounts on special edition kits throughout the year (some available to Club Members only)
• Flying Hours Passport- a way to collect points from kit purchases to redeem for free kits)
• Club membership card and pin

Yes, it’s a bit silly of me, I suppose. A 45-year-old man, getting worked up about a membership card and pin and kit. But it gives me great joy to know if I could go back in time to visit my 10-year-old self, that little guy would think it was supremely cool.

For me, that, if nothing else, makes it worth every penny.

To join the Airfix Club and get in touch with your inner 10-year-old, visit Airfix’s website. (And don’t forget- it would make a great father-son thing to do!)

When I built Trumpeter’s Supermarine Spiteful last summer, I concluded the build report by saying “Now I just hope Trumpeter will follow up with a Seafang!”

Well, I guess they read my build report. Read the rest of this entry »

In looking back over my 2012 builds, all 26 of them, I realized I’ve built more than a few Hobbyboss kits in the past year. I don’t know that I really set out to do so. Most of their kits get some sort of knock for accuracy. Some of them are plainly obvious, some are not. But despite any knocks against them, Hobbyboss has put out some interesting and affordable kits recently, and the fit is very, very good.

I’m not normally into building helicopters… just not a subject that interests me. But when my good friend Mike Kloppenburg from Bombshell Decals showed me his results building Hobbyboss’ 1/48 UH-1C at an IPMS club meeting last fall, I decided to give it a go myself. The kit was less than $15, so it certainly was not a drain on the budget! Read the rest of this entry »

Lately I’ve been doing some reading on Russian air power in World War II, and this has led to an interest in building some examples of Soviet World War II fighter aircraft. So the timing was perfect when my friend Alex of scale-model-kits.com asked me if I’d be interested in reviewing & building a kit. After looking through their selections, I picked a fighter I’ve always thought was very interesting, the MiG-3. The selected kit from Ark Models is in the markings of Russia’s second-highest scoring ace of World War II, Aleksandr Pokryshkin.

The kit is actually a rebox of ICM’s MiG-3 kit, based on sprue photo comparisons from reviews of the ICM kit.

The parts are typical for an Eastern European manufacturer. The plastic is a bit on the softer side, but overall the parts are well cast and reasonably detailed, with some “softness” to the edges of detail areas. There is some flash that will have to be dealt with but not an excessive amount. The parts have a slight texture to them (which the photos I took exaggerate somewhat), but nothing that can’t be quickly buffed out for any exterior parts to give a smooth paint finish. The kit consists of four sprues cast in light gray plastic, and one clear sprue.

The interior detailing looks good, with the interior framework reasonably well represented. Seat, stick, rudder pedals and instrument panel are all included. The IP is void of detail, but a decal is provided. Read the rest of this entry »

Luke 2: 8-20

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The birth of Jesus, on that day so many years ago, was more than jus the birth of a child. More than the birth of a prophet, or a good man. More than the birth of a philosopher or a social activist.

The birth of Jesus was the birth of God in flesh, when He put aside His heavenly glory to be born as a man. To live and eat and breathe and exist in this fallen world in which we live.

And His purpose was not just to say nice things, and spread peace, and tell folks to treat others nice.

That baby born so long ago was born to bear the burden of sin on the cross, to bear the penalty for all mankind’s sins. Bearing up the penalty for all- those who believed, and those who didn’t. He’s paid the price for us all.

But just like the shepherds, when we hear the news, we must do something with it. To ignore it means we reject His payment of our sins, and must bear the burden of the penalty for eternity. Only by accepting this gift- this precious, ultimate gift to the world made possible by a baby in a manger in Bethlehem can we be restored with God for eternity.

On this day, as we celebrate with gifts and joy and family, remember what we are celebrating. We celebrate becuase of the gift of Christ our Lord, who would be our Savior one day on the Cross of Golgotha.

To all, I wish a Merry Christmas!

Agape forum member Mark Hamrick posted his work on this awesome looking Nieuport 11 in Russian markings. Great work Mark!